[f. SOLDER v.]
1. The action of joining or mending with solder.
1466. Paston Lett., II. 268. To the glaser for takyn owte of ii. panys of the wyndows … and sowderyng new of the same, xxd.
1472–3. Durh. Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 247. Pro sowderyng unius le gutter plumb.
1495. Trevisa’s Barth. De P. R., XVI. xix. (Caxton), 559. Glewe hath vertue of drawynge and soudrynge.
1511. Nottingham Rec., III. 335. Peid to Thomas Illyngworth for sawderyng of a gutter.
1580. Frampton, Dial. Yron & Steele, 148 b. I do not speake of the finenesse and delicatenesse that there is in sodering of it.
1605. in W. Kelly, Notices Illustr. Drama (1865), 246. For sawderinge of other panes of glasse in the Halle.
1658. Manton, Expos. Jude 2, Wks. 1871, V. 69. But our reconciliation with God, it is like the soldering of a vessel, which is strongest in the crack.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., s.v., In the Soldering of all these Metals, they generally use Borax in Powder.
1807. T. Thomson, Chem. (ed. 3), II. 566. Its great use is to facilitate the soldering of the more precious metals.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 2240/1. Soldering was apparently unknown in Greece in the time of Homer.
b. With adj., as hard, soft.
1832. Babbage, Econ. Manuf., xv. (ed. 3), 143. Hard soldering gives a better coat of silver.
1843. Holtzapffel, Turning, I. 433. In soft-soldering, the binding wire is scarcely ever used.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 350. The one method is called hard and the other soft soldering.
2. The action of uniting or joining closely; an instance of this.
1550. Bale, Apol., 17. All the vnsounde sowderynges of Alyngtons sophistry, wyll not be found able workmanly to clowte vp thys foule broken hole.
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 226. The commixture and sodering (as it were) of good will and kinde affection.
1642. D. Rogers, Naaman, 835. All mixtures of selfe, and soderings against the Word.
1728. Phil. Trans., XXXV. 634. To steep them in Clay or Fuller’s earth … before you heat them, to prevent their soldering with one another.
1857. Pusey, Doctr. Real Presence (1869), i. 104. I assert a real union, yet it is not by conclusion or soldering, but Sacramental.
3. Solder; material used for soldering with.
1648. Hexham, II. Loot-metael, Lead-mettall, or Saudering.
a. 1682. Sir T. Browne, Tracts (1684), 4. Refining, Sodering, Dross, Nitre.
1880. Daily News, 7 Oct., 6/7. A portion of the metal from the tin or from the soldering had become absorbed by the meat.
4. A soldered place or part.
1889. Telegr. Jrnl., XXV. 349. Even the delicate solderings of the ends of these wires to the copper clips were apparently the same as ever.
5. attrib., chiefly in the names of tools or apparatus used in soldering, as soldering iron.
Descriptions of many of these are given by Knight, Dict. Mech. (1875 and 1884).
1675. Baxter, Cath. Theol., II. I. 280. A man that is set upon a sodering design, may palliate any Heresie in the world.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 307/1. These Sodering Irons are only used about Lead Workings. Ibid. Other Soddering Irons there are used by other Trades.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 633. It is smoothed and finished by rubbing it about with a red-hot soldering iron.
1843. Holtzapffel, Turning, I. 446. The soldering-tool is then thin and keen on the edge.
1873. E. Spon, Workshop Rec., Ser. I. 366/1. See that the soldering iron … is well tinned.
1893. Spons’ Mech. Own Book (ed. 4), 101. A soldering bit may be made by taking a piece of stout brass wire … about 6 in. long [etc.].
1900. Hasluck, Mod. Eng. Handybk., 139. For soft solders, the best flux is a soldering fluid which may be prepared by saturating hydrochloric acid with zinc.
